Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/110

94 gives me food and drink. And when I am sick He heals me; He who will kill me, and then bring me to life ; and who I hope will forgive me my sins on the day of judgment ! Lord, grant me judgment, and let me reach the righteous ; and give me a tongue of good report amongst posterity; and make me of the heirs of the paradise of pleasure ; and pardon my father, verily, he is of those who err ; and disgrace me not on the day when they are raised up again; the day when wealth shall profit not, nor sons, but only he who comes to God with a sound heart. And paradise shall be brought near to the pious ; and hell shall be brought forth to those who go astray, and it shall be said to them, “ Where is what ye used to worship beside God ? can they help you, or get help themselves ?” And they shall fall headlong into it, they and those who have gone astray, and the hosts of Iblîs all together !

‘ They shall say, while they quarrel therein, “By God ! we were surely in an obvious error, when we made you equal to the Lord of the worlds ! but it was only sinners who led us astray. But we have no intercessors and no warm friend ; but had we a turn we would be of the believers.”’ — Verily, in that is a sign, but most of them will never be believers ; and, verily, thy Lord He is mighty and merciful.

The people of Noah said the apostles were liars, when their brother Noah said to them, ‘ Will ye not fear ? verily, I am a faithful apostle to you ; then fear God and obey me. I do not ask you for it any hire ; my hire is only with the Lord of the worlds, So fear God and obey me.’ They